


With You

by Seraphine_Starchaser



Category: JackSepticEye (YouTube RPF), Markiplier (YouTube RPF), Septiplier - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: A/B/O, Action/Adventure, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, My First AO3 Post, Possible Mpreg, Soulmates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 17:43:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4796486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seraphine_Starchaser/pseuds/Seraphine_Starchaser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Werewolves are real. Supernatural creatures are real. We live seamlessly alongside humans. We live in peace. Though we mostly stick to our own kind, we get along well enough. I was hoping to find my mate, live together, raise a family, have a pack--but life is never so perfect. Maybe it's fate or destiny, but I prefer to think that we make our own decisions and aren't guided by some governing force, at least most of the time. </p><p>All I know is, things will never be the same again... but I don't yet know if it is for better or worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The movies got us all wrong.  
  
Except that somehow, that Twilight bullshit got it kind of close. Sort of. A little bit.  
  
Ugh, it makes me sick to think that.  
  
But I digress. I’m not a vampire; I’m just your average neighborhood werewolf. I don’t have to shift at the full moon, though we are generally stronger during that time. We don’t run at a high temperature, it’s not painful to change, and we’re not enemies with vampires. We do run in packs—it’s instinct, ya know? We do have Alphas, and Betas, and Omegas (more on that later). Raw meat is good for us but we survive just fine on it cooked, and other regular human food. Our senses are heightened a little further than a normal human’s, but it’s nothing compared to our senses as wolves.  
  
We do well as normal humans, really. Some of us don’t even shift that often. We look the same in our human forms, those senses aren’t overbearing. Our temperaments are perfectly fine, by the way. Most of the time, anyways; there are some who live more wolf than human and are closer to those instincts. And the soul mate thing… well, I should explain.  
  
Perhaps it would be better to say that we have to potential to have a soul mate. You can connect to another person, but it’s not an instantaneous, ‘you’re the one’ sort of deal—other wolves can fight for the right to mate. I suppose it’s similar to human marriages, except that if you mate with that person that’s it. And not everyone has the potential to be your soul mate. You see a potential soul mate and just know that they _could_ be yours, and you theirs. I’ve heard that it’s almost like you’re one being. Your souls are connected, weaved, irrevocably together. It’s a supposed whole new level of understanding and happiness, like the world makes more sense, that you lose all doubts and misgivings in your partner because you just _know_.  
  
I haven’t found my soul mate yet, but there is one potential I’ve met.  
  
His name is Sean William McLoughlin.


	2. Change

  
  
_As much as I love Ireland, I hate living so far away from everyone and everything,_ Jack thought.  
  
He loved seeing his community and friends in person and wished he could do it more often. He wanted to make time for each individual person and get to know them, but it just wasn’t possible. So Jack made do with long flights and fully packed days.  
  
But this time he was going to L.A. for about ten days to do some collabs with Mark and the Cyndago guys, maybe Bob and Wade, too. Then it was off to Indy PopCon for the last weekend, then back home. It was a lot of traveling but it would be worth it.  
  
“Jack! Over here!” Mark yelled, waving his arms around like a goof. He had a huge smile on his face and Jack rushed to greet him, ignoring the crowd in the airport.  
  
“Hey dude! It’s so good to see you!” Jack gave Mark a hug that he returned fully. “How’ve you been?” They broke apart and started walking out into the daylight, Jack’s bags in tow.  
  
“I’ve been good, man. I’ve been so excited for you to come and stay with me, actually. What about you? How was your flight?” Mark asked.  
  
“It was okay. I hate being so far up in the air though.” He shuddered at the thought of it. “But yeah, I can’t wait to get started and see everyone again!”  
  
Mark chuckled at their shared enthusiasm. “So, what do you want to do today? It’s about… 10:58. We can grab an early lunch somewhere, unless you wanna stay in and make something. I don’t mind making lunch for us.”  
  
Jack thought for a moment as they loaded his bags in his friend’s car. “Honestly, I really don’t care—ugh, damn foreign cars. I hate being on the opposite side,” he grumbled. “Um, what do you wanna do?”  
  
“How about just having lunch at my apartment? I know you’re probably jet lagged and we can always go out tonight, or another day. Really, I just want to make sure you have a good time,” Mark said after a pause.  
  
“Oh ya do, do you?” Jack said, flirting a little.  
  
“N-no, er, wait—uh, what?”  
  
Jack busted out laughing. “Nah, I get what you mean, Markimoo. Really, I’m sure I’ll have a great time with you and everyone else. Don’t worry about it so much, ‘kay?”  
  
Blushing, Mark just answered, “Yeah, okay.”  
  


* * *

“Welcome to my humble abode!” gestured Mark. “Shoes go over there,” he said, pointing to a mat next to the door. “I’ll show you to the guest room.”

“Thanks,” said Jack as he toed off his shoes. The jet lag was definitely hitting him now, but he looked around the apartment. “You have a really nice place, dude. It’s huge.”

“Nah,” Mark waved off. “I just don’t have a lot of junk to decorate or whatever. It’s an optical illusion~!”

Jack smirked at him. “You’re such a goof.”

“But I’m your goof.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet Markimoo,” Jack said, joining in Mark’s laughter.

Walking up the stairs, the Irishman did start to notice the lack of décor his friend pointed out. _It just seems so lonely and empty here,_ he thought. _It’s actually a little sad. Not like my place is all that much better, but still…_  
Jack nearly bumped into Mark when they stopped in front of an open doorway. It was the guestroom, with a double bed and two nightstands and lamps, and a lone dresser.

“Here ya go! Sorry it’s kind of bland, but it does its function.” Mark smiled at his friend. “You’ll also have your own bathroom.”

“Nah, it’s fine Mark. Really, I appreciate this,” Jack said as he dumped his suitcases at the foot of the bed, the half-Korean following his lead with the bag he held.

Upon standing, Mark just stared at his potential soul mate for a little, taking in his appearance. Jack was a little shy and uncomfortable with the scrutiny, yet he couldn’t help but feel happy. There was something in his friend’s brown eyes that spoke volumes of emotions; some were easy to figure out (like contentedness), but there was something deeper there.

Blushing, Jack looked away first, his heart beating fast. “Uh, so, If it’s alright, I’m just gonna take a quick nap. I’m actually more tired than hungry, if you can believe that.”

Mark blinked before letting out a chuckle. “That’s a first. It’s fine, I’ll leave you to it then. Do you want me to wake you up later?”

“Please,” said Jack as he checked his watch again. It was 11:30. “Maybe around 3-ish? I’ll have time to get ready so we can go out.”

“No problem. Sweet dreams, Jack-a-boy.” Mark waved before leaving.

Jack closed the door behind him and sat on the bed. _What are you thinking, Sean? You just broke up with your girlfriend two months ago._ He scrubbed at his face with his hands. _For fuck’s sake, you don’t even know if he swings that way, let alone if he actually likes you. You’re just imaging things. Whatever,_ he thought as he stood up to pull his pants off. _I’m too tired for this shit, ugh._

* * *

It wasn’t a restful sleep, that’s for sure. The Irishman had half-dreams that dissipated upon waking up, though they left him with a sense of foreboding. He couldn’t decide if it was anxiety over his feelings and the next two weeks or something else. That apprehension slowly faded with the last of his sleepiness when Mark left after waking him up.

Jack made the bed and got dressed in fresh clothes before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth and attend to his needs. His mind was strangely blank, but shrugged it off as jetlag still. He ruffled his hair in the mirror a bit before deciding he was satisfied. _Not bad,_ he thought, checking over his dark blue jeans and gray button up shirt. _Gray looks good but it brings out my goddamn hair. Thanks, ma and pa._

He went downstairs and found Mark sitting on the couch, idly flipping through the T.V. channels.

“Hey,” the older man said. “How are you feeling?” He turned off the T.V. and gestured for Jack to sit on the couch with him.

“Better.” He plopped down on the opposite side. “Still a little tired, but I’ll get over it.”

Mark nodded. “So, you still wanna go out to eat? It’s fine if you don’t.”

“Nah, it’s fine dude. I do wanna get out, maybe take a walk after.” Jack stopped before stammering out: “uh, you don’t have to walk with me. I was just thinking of walking after dinner, getting some fresh air, ya know?”

“Actually, that sounds nice. Can I walk with you, then? I don’t want to intrude if you want to be alone though.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Jack quirked a smile. “I would like your company, actually. Thanks. So, uh, what were you thinking about for dinner tonight?”

The restaurant was a nice little Italian place downtown. It wasn’t anything fancy; it had more of a home-like vibe to it than anything, but it had good food and atmosphere.

After quibbling over the check that Mark paid for (he absolutely refused to let Jack pay for anything, at least this time), they left and decided to walk around before heading back to the apartment.

It was a warm night as the two men walked. They chatted over little things, mostly. At one point, Mark’s hand brushed up against Jack’s. The Irishman twitched slightly in surprise. _It was probably an accident. Let it go,_ he thought.

It happened again, with the older man holding contact a beat longer than before. They were in a fairly secluded area, with closed shops surrounding them and no one else around.

Jack sucked in a quick breath. “S-so me and my girlfriend broke up.” His eyes widened in surprise. _Jesus, just fuckin’ lay it out there, I’m sure he won’t take your goddamn obvious hint or anything,_ he thought sarcastically. “Uh, did I tell you that?”

Mark stopped and looked at him. “I thought so,” he murmured.

“W-what?”

“Oh,” the half-Korean said. “I mean, I know you’re a private person, but you haven’t talked about her in a while, but I didn’t want to say anything to upset you.” He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, leaning against a building. “Sorry, I… well, are you okay?”

Jack hummed. “Actually, yeah, I’m okay with it. It was a few months ago. We just… drifted apart. We wanted different things and thought it was best to go our separate ways.” He shrugged. “We’re still friends, though.”

Mark nodded. “I’m glad you’re okay, then. At least it was a mutual thing.” It was silent for a moment before a beeping sound was heard.

Jack’s face paled considerably. “Oh, shit! We need to go, I forgot to bring my pills with me! Oh shit!” He turned around and started running the other way, his friend rushing to catch up with him.

“Your pills?” Mark huffed out. “Are you okay? Should we—JACK!”

Slightly ahead, Jack was pulled into the nearby alleyway with a hand over his mouth.

“Oh holy shit! Fuck!” Mark ran into the alley, which was a spectacularly stupid move that Jack would yell at him for later.

The Irishman saw Mark take in the people in the alley: three of them, one bald-haired holding Jack back-to-chest, with a hand over his mouth and the other arm in a vice grip over his torso. He struggled but couldn’t move, being lifted slightly so he couldn’t stomp or kick his attacker like he wanted to. _Get outta here, dumbass!_ Jack wanted to say to his friend, but couldn’t. The unknown man’s hand shifted to hold his jaw shut so he couldn’t bite him, and still couldn’t make much noise.

“Wh-what do you want?” Mark asked, his voice trembling slightly. “I can give you money, just please—”

“Shut up!” said the man to Jack’s right. He was slightly shorter than the YouTubers, with blond hair tied in a ponytail. “We don’t want you money, animal filth!” The man spat.  
_Oh God, oh Christ on a fuckin’ bike, this isn’t good, please RUN Mark!_ But the half-Korean just stood there, shifting into an aggressive pose.

The blond man brandished a knife and held it to Jack’s throat. Jack whimpered slightly. The man on Jack’s left moved closer, though he still couldn’t turn his head to see him.

“If you even think about shifting we’ll carve your mate,” said the blond man, sneering at the last word like it was something disgusting.

Mark stiffened visibly, looking at Jack with wide eyes before eyeing the apparent leader. He raised his hands before saying, “Please, let him go. You can kill me but please just let him go. He’s not… he’s a human,” he begged.

_What?_ Jack couldn’t process what was being said. Wasn’t Mark a human, too? How could his friend shift?

“Oh I know he is. But, nah, I think we’ll kill you both.” The blond man moved closer to Mark.

_NO!_ Tremors brought Jack into a cold sweat, and suddenly he felt pain everywhere. He screamed, or tried to, shocking everyone. Then he began heating up, a silent scream shaping his lips before he could suddenly move, and being on two legs felt wrong. He bit the bald man’s hand. It was deep, Jack could feel the pop of the veins and the hard muscle. There was screaming, and there was pain in his thigh but he kept moving, leaping to the leader and ripping his throat out. There was blood, a sweet but salty tang that warmed his face, and he bit through the esophagus and crushed the larynx, cartilage snapping as easily as twigs.

Jack snarled as he felt more pain—was that a bullet? Was he shot? But he ignored the agony in his shoulder and turned around, crouched on all fours, dodging another bullet before bringing the third man, another blond-haired one, down and biting through his neck and into the spine, mutilating the spinal cord.

_Biting is wonderful, the feeling of bone and tendons and sweet blood, kill them all, don’t hurt potential,_ was all Jack thought. He sank down suddenly, feeling the cooling blood around his body and soak into his fur _fur? What?_ He couldn’t think, but the threat was gone, he didn’t know where the one he bit went to but he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

“Jack? Oh my God, Jack, please, can you hear me?” Mark leaned down to the newly transformed wolf, a hand hovering over his side.

He couldn’t answer, feeling dizzy and more pain and loss of the warm fur, and he had hands again…

Everything blurred black as Jack fell into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this went well; I haven't really written any action scenes before and I hope it was okay. Things will be explained in the next chapter. Again, any encouragement--kudos, comments, critiques--are very much welcome. I hope you enjoyed reading this :)


	3. Unsteady

  
  
The evening had been going well. Mark took Jack to dinner _(not a date, not yet, but maybe…?)_ , sorta kinda touched his hand accidentally a few times, wanting to grasp the slightly smaller hand in his own. It was enough, hopefully, for a suggestion.

And then he learned Jack broke up with his girlfriend. Mark did feel bad, but he also felt absolutely elated by the news. _Maybe we have a shot, then,_ the older man thought. But first Mark had to tell his potential soul mate that he was a werewolf, a shifter, and he didn’t know how Jack would take it because he was human—or at least, he smelled and acted completely human.

In the alleyway, where those people knew what Mark was, where they planned on killing his potential soul mate, he nearly lost it. Jack was scared but defiant, but Mark would never leave him, not like that. Before the American had time to figure out how and why these people knew about his abilities, the shit hit the fan.

There was screaming from Jack and _Oh God,_ thought Mark, _please don’t hurt him._ But there was a burst of a new scent from Jack, not the lovely one Mark had become accustomed to: it was the scent of another shifter, nearly overpowering Jack’s natural one. It was still him, but how could the Irishman have hidden his scent like that? It should have been impossible.

Suddenly there was slender, gray-brown wolf with blue eyes, biting and snarling. He tore open the bald man’s wrist, the one that was holding him, before the blond-haired leader swiftly turned and stabbed the knife in Jack’s back leg.

The wolf didn’t give the leader the time to remove the knife before leaping and tearing out his neck. Blood bloomed on the ground and coated Jack, and it was like he didn’t even feel the knife there.

Mark wanted to shift, to help, but he was frozen because Jack was a _wolf_. And then the bald man was running away, and the other blond, uninjured, held a gun. There was pure terror on his face, the weapon unsteady, but he was determined. The first bullet found a target in Jack’s shoulder and the second spun harmlessly away. The silver and brown wolf went for the kill, moving too swiftly for the man to follow, and before he could hurt Mark. There was a crunch of bone and the last of the enemy was dead. He didn’t know where the third went to, the one with the injured wrist, but all those thoughts vanished when he saw Jack collapse.

The older man ran to his side, sinking down beside his potential. “Jack? Oh my God, Jack, please, can you hear me?” The wolf whined and fur melted to cold skin as Jack turned back into his human form. The knife fell out of his thigh and his eyes fluttered close. The Irishman was naked, as the clothes didn’t transform with him like any educated shifter knew how to do. Mark felt his eyes tearing up but shook his head to clear them. Jack needed him now, needed him to think clearly and get them the fuck out of there before police came.

“Shit,” Mark hissed through his teeth. He gave a fleeting look to the naked man before turning and running, his car the only goal at the moment. It was a few blocks away and Mark couldn’t help but be somewhat thankful that even though this wouldn’t have happened in an area with people at all, it meant he could get by unnoticed and unhindered to the car and get away just as easily. He had maybe twelve minutes at the most because someone would have heard the gunshot and called.

He skid to a stop and briefly fumbled with his keys _why am I shaking so much?_ before unlocking his car. Mark slammed the door close and started the car up, not bothering with his seatbelt. He was equally unconcerned with the speed limit and stop signs, but he didn’t have _time_ to stop or care. He kept his headlights off as well, finally returning to the alley. Mark parked his car to face the mouth of the alley and turned on the lights. Jack was still there, and so were the two bodies. _Thank God,_ Mark thought, _Oh thank fuck that other one didn’t come back._

Mark got out and went to the trunk of his car to get out a blanket to lay it on the back seat. He had been taught to keep such emergency supplies in his car and thank fuck he did. Draping the two blankets over the seat and floor of the car, Mark took the final item (which was a sleeping bag) and close the trunk. He rushed to the unconscious form of Jack before lifting him up, wrapping the sleeping bag around him, and carrying his potential mate to the backseat of his car. He laid the younger man down gently and close the doors.

 _Okay, think for a second here._ The half-Korean narrowed his eyes in contemplation. _Is there anything that could lead back to us? I have my wallet , phone, and keys, but Jack…_ Mark quickly located Jack’s wallet and phone. He scanned the alleyway for a little longer, making sure everything was relatively okay and wouldn’t immediately link them to the scene. Seeing nothing else, he turned and got into his car before speeding off.

There were so many questions that needed answering, but first Mark had to help Jack. _The wounds should hopefully heal up within the next day or two, but I don’t know if we have that long. Not to mention the fact that Jack smelled perfectly human until his transformation._ He let out a long breath, before breathing in and letting out another long breath. He kept doing that until his heart calmed more, and his head cleared. _Okay. Jack is a wolf. He seemed human but wasn’t. I can’t know more until I talk to him, so just focus on his wounds and getting the fuck outta Dodge._  
Mark was about halfway to his apartment when he heard the sirens. He slowed down and pulled over, watching the flashing lights fly toward the direction he had just come from. It was an ambulance and two cop cars. His breathing picked up a little but assured himself that he wasn’t the only person in a car on this road. Still, he sped a little to his home all the same. He just wanted to get Jack inside, and to do that would take a little creativity on his part in order to fool the cameras around the apartment complex.

 _Shit._ Mark parked in his designated spot and let out a heavy sigh. Thinking quickly, he turned his shirt inside out so that hopefully the bloodstains weren’t so obvious. The black pants he wore hid the red liquid well enough. The American turned to check on Jack who was still unconscious. His breathing was even and steady, though there was a grimace of pain on his face.

Wincing in sympathy, Mark got out of the car and jogged to his apartment. He reached the door and had to steady his breaths again as he went in and closed the door behind him. _Okay, so I’ll need a change of clothes for Jack, a new blanket maybe, a wet washcloth for the blood…_ Mark thought. Looking around, he spied a backpack hanging off the coat rack and grabbed it, taking off for the guest room. He grabbed a new pair of jeans and a red t-shirt and stuffed them in the bag along with the quilt on the bed. The bathroom was next as he wet a washcloth from the cabinet and tossed it in the front pocket of the pack. _That should be good enough._

Mark returned to the car to find Jack still down for the count. He got into the backseat with his potential mate and withdrew the wet cloth from the pack. Running the soft fabric and cleaning away the blood from the Irishman’s face left Mark nearly breathless with awe; seeing Jack quiet and almost peaceful-looking sent shivers through his spine. The red on the cloth was a harsh reminder of the situation and the older man shook his head. He quickly rid Jack of his clothes, not daring to look more than he had to, and redressed him in the clean clothes. The wounds on his shoulder and thigh bled sluggishly as Mark jostled his friend into the fresh quilt, quickly wrapping him up and setting him in the driver’s seat to cover up as much blood in the backseat as he could. Satisfied, he picked Jack up again and shut the doors, locking them quickly before scurrying to his apartment.

After laying the unconscious man on the couch, Mark ran a hand over his face. He was shaking a little, still shocked but shoved everything else away to care for his friend. There was no one he could call that was close by to help him and he had to be strong. Suddenly, his face paled significantly as he realized: _I’m going to have to take the bullet out._ Mark sat down quickly, feeling faint. _FUCK._

He breathed deeply, in and out, for a moment to steel himself. Mark turned and took Jack’s fresh jeans and shirt off to tend to the wounds underneath. He swallowed at the cruel sight before him. Shit, he didn’t even know if he had the tools to help, but that bullet needed to come out. _Tongs, maybe. Chopsticks? Spoon? I don’t even have anything to sterilize them!_

Mark leapt off the couch and went to his kitchen. He plucked the tongs, chopsticks and a spoon from various drawers and turned to the sink. Biting his lip, he laid out a towel next to the sink and turned on the water to hot. He grabbed some antibacterial hand soap, hoping that it would be okay. Werewolves have a better immune system and heal faster than humans but Mark didn’t want to take a chance.

After washing the instruments, he brought them to the coffee table after dragging it close to the couch. Mark swallowing his nausea down _I’m so sorry, Jack, I’m going to have to hurt you,_ and sat close to the unconscious man. He picked up the chopsticks first, peering into the still bleeding wound. The bullet was lodged in his left shoulder, but luckily it wasn’t too deep, and it didn’t impact bone even after shifting. Mark steadied his shaking hand as much as he could, poking around the skin. It was warm and the bullet was easily seen. _This feel like that fucking operation game,_ he thought briefly. He held his breath and gently nudged the metal with the chopsticks. It was a little loose, probably from the transformation back to human.

Mark slowly worked the bullet out, switching to the tongs once it was closer to the surface. The muscles and ligaments were torn but should heal, hopefully without lasting effects—it was rare for something like that to happen to werewolves (and other such people) and Mark didn’t know shit about anatomy or medical stuff, but it didn’t look too bad.

After grasping the object with the tongs he slowly pulled it out, watching as blood welled to the surface and ran down Jack’s chest and shoulder to soak into the couch. It would be a bitch to clean but Mark wasn’t really worried about it. He pressed the towel the utensils were on onto the wound. He didn’t have any Neosporin because he healed fast, and it probably wouldn’t help anyways; still, he wished he had something to take away the pain.

Making sure the towel soaked up the blood that was slowing, he let out a heavy breath; it should heal faster now. Mark shifted to look at the wound on Jack’s right thigh, which looked like it was healing okay. More muscles and ligaments looked torn but there wasn’t anything he could do except clean up the crusting blood on his potential mate’s body.

Finally done, Mark put away all the tools and the clothes in the washing machine. He didn’t dare go out to the blankets in the car—he would just have to take care of that another time. The older man filled up two glasses of water (hopefully Jack would wake up soon) and sank gratefully down into an armchair next to the couch. The thoughts and questions he had pushed away came back with a vengeance, and he wanted to write them down but wouldn’t take the chance.

How was it possible for Jack to seem human, smell human, but suddenly turn?

It wasn’t odd that Mark’s potential was a (or seemed) human; it could happen, but it was rare. It just made things easier and harder—with werewolves, completing the bond only happened when mating in heat. It was hard on a human’s stamina and health, but if Jack was also a shifter, it wouldn’t be so hard on him.

It was also harder because if Jack was a werewolf, and has Mark as a potential, it could mean the younger man is an omega, and can get pregnant. Being somewhat of a celebrity, it would be impossible to hide something like that, not to mention that omega are extremely rare; only a handful born every hundred years or so. They may not have the strengths of an Alpha or Beta, but they are strong in their own way and aren’t afraid to fight, and they produce powerful offspring. In fact, Omegas rarely get sick, physically or emotionally. 

Mark was roused from his thoughts by Jack sucking in a breath before moaning in pain. He glanced over and sure enough, lids parted to reveal stunning blue eyes. The half-Korean quickly moved to sit on the coffee table. “Jack? Jack, how are you feeling?”

Said man looked over, hissing when his shoulder pulled. “M-Mark? What’s going on?” he asked, sleepily. “It hurts.”

“I’m sorry; I can get you some Tylenol or something. Do you want that?” Jack nodded, moaning in pain at the motion, and Mark left briefly and returned, two white pills in hand.

“Uh,” Mark hesitated. “Do you want to open your mouth, and I can give you the medicine and water?”

After swallowing, Jack cleared his throat. “Why am I in my boxers and in pain?”

Mark shifted on the table to be in the younger man’s line of sight. “What do you remember?”  
Jack frowned. “We were—” he began before gasping. “Oh God, what did I do?” He started panicking, reaching out to take a hold of his friend’s hand. “Pain, and then, Oh fuck, I killed people, didn’t I? I was like, I don’t even know, and I killed those two people, I _wanted_ to hurt them, of fuck,” he broke off. The Irishman’s skin turned white and he started sweating. Mark jumped up to get his mop bucket and put it just in time in front of Jack as he vomited.

Mark held the bucket with one hand and rubbed Jack’s uninjured shoulder comfortingly. He couldn’t imagine what was going through that mind. Had Jack never shifted before?

Finally Jack just broke down sobbing. Mark wanted nothing more than to hug him but didn’t want to hurt him further, so he just continued rubbing his shoulder and making soothing noises.

When at last even the tears abated, Mark held out the glass of water to Jack, who took it gratefully. So much for the Tylenol, but it probably wasn’t a good idea at the moment anyway. The older man took away the bucket and flushed it down the toilet, rinsing it out and bringing it back to the couch just in case.

“Jack, I’m so sorry. I don’t even know… I mean I know what happened, sort of. But…” Mark bit his lip. “I know this might sound bad right now, and I don’t really know how to handle this, but—but thank you. Y-you saved me. You saved _us,_ Jack. Those people...” he trailed off. Jesus, they were going to die, his potential fucking mate would have died, and there was nothing he could have done. “If I could, I would have done something. I’m sorry, fuck, I’m so sorry.” He lifted a hand to his forehead, shaking and holding back tears. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”

Feeling a hand on his knee, Mark looked up to find Jack crying. “I’m glad they didn’t hurt you,” the foreigner whispered. Tears were making tracks down both their faces, but they held hands, relieved that they were okay for now.

After the sniffles faded away, Jack cleared his throat. “I, uh, I still don’t know exactly what happened. I mean,” he began, “what was I? Do you—do you know?”

 _So he didn’t know he was a wolf? How is that possible?_ “Er, yeah, yeah I do.” Mark composed himself. “Well, I don’t know how it’s possible, but y-you shifted, I guess for the first time. You’re, as lame or cliché or whatever it sounds, a werewolf.” He paused, letting his friend soak in the information. “Um, just so you know, I am, too. I actually thought you were completely human, because you didn’t smell like a werewolf or act like one or anything.”

Jack mouthed the words silently for a moment. “B-but… it’s not a full moon or anything, is it?”

A smile quirked the side of the American’s mouth. “That’s actually a myth. We can transform whenever we want to, and—” his breath hitched. “Jack, did you feel any pain when you changed?”

The Irishman blinked. “Yeah, actually. There was pain and I felt hot and cold all over. Why?”

Mark hummed. “It’s not supposed to hurt. And you’ve never shifted before?” Jack shook his head. “Well that’s just weird. You’re either born a shifter or you’re not, so… something’s going on. Anyways, how are you feeling?”

“Actually, I’m feeling a lot better,” Jack said, surprised.

“Ah, yeah, we have faster healing rates and better immune systems than humans. Wow, I guess we have a lot to talk about.” Mark squeezed his friend’s hand, making the foreigner blush. “I’ll be here for you every step of the way. We have stuff we need to figure out, like—” his eyes widened. “Oh shit, we need to go. We’re not safe here.”

“What? Why?”

“I think those people were hunters. I thought they all died out, but I could be wrong. If that’s the case, we need to talk to some people,” Mark explained.

“Hunters? Like, people who kill things for sport?” Jack started shaking again.

Mark squeezed their hands together again. “It’ll be okay. We just need to pack up stuff, and I need to make some calls. Those people knew what I was, but they thought you were a human… how could they have known?” He shook his head. “Whatever. Do you want me to help you pack?”

Jack gently rolled his shoulder and shifted his leg. He winced but shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, though.”

The two separated to pack clothes and other essentials. Thirty minutes or so later and they were ready to go.

“We’re going to a hotel first, so we can sleep and I can make some phone calls,” Mark explained. “Do you have everything you need? Clothes, shampoo, wallet, phone, toothbrush, etc.?”

“Ah, about that...” Jack trailed off. “Um, I think I know why I never, uh, ‘shifted’ or whatever before now.”

Mark blinked. “Oh?”

The younger man held out a pill bottle. “I think it was these. I’ve always taken them, same time everyday ever since I can remember. My parents told me I had to take them or I would die. I never missed a dose.” He shook his head. “They told me I had hemophilia. But with the way I just healed, “ he chuckled humorlessly, “I’m guessing that was a lie.”

The American licked his lips. “Jack…” he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. There’s so much we have to talk about, and we need to talk to your parents a well—God, there’s just a lot of ground to cover.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, but we can talk about it at the hotel, right?”

“Yeah, totally. I want to make sure you understand everything. So, do you have everything?”

The Irishman gave a small smile. “Yup. You?”

“Mmhm. Let’s get going, then.” They walked out, Mark locking the door behind them. He didn’t know when, or even if they would be back, but he had a feeling that things were getting bad out there. 


	4. Answers

It took a while to drive to the hotel, as they stopped at a bank so Mark could withdraw money to hopefully avoid anyone tracking them through credit cards. They weren’t worried about their phones being tracked as they turned off the Wi-Fi option. Jack found himself in between sleep and wakefulness, pictures of the gruesome scene playing in his head and twitching him awake. He caught Mark glancing at him every so often, and the Irishman wished he knew what his friend was thinking.

His stomach was a little upset still, guilt weighing heavily upon his mind. Curling into the seat, he brought his arm in and held it towards his chest, hand over heart. The physical pain was tolerable now, though the wounds hadn’t healed completely; Jack wanted to hurt those men, _needed_ to in order to save both Mark and himself, but he murdered them. Shame and uneasiness were there, side-by-side with the relief that they were safe, at least for now.

The clock on the dashboard said it was nearly midnight; they had been on the road for almost three hours, filled with absolutely nothing but the sound of tires on pavement. _We must’ve gone more than 150 kilometers by now,_ he thought. They had turned into a town about five minutes prior. Unable to take the silence any longer, Jack asked, “So, where are we going?”

“Eventually, we’ll go to Mississippi. You remember Ken, right?” Mark glanced over to see his friend’s nod. “He lives in a special place there. It’s basically a safe haven, a town only for people like us.”

“You mean other werewolves?” Jack bit his lip. “How many are there in the world, anyways?”

“There are a probably around a million or so world-wide, maybe more. I’m not too sure,” Mark shrugged.

“Holy crap!” Fully awake now, Jack fired question after question at the older man. “Does Ken know about it? Is he a werewolf, too? What about his fiancée? How many live in the town? Have you ever been there before?” He took a breath to ask more but Mark interrupted him.

“Whoa, whoa, Jack, calm down,” he laughed. “There are so many things we need to talk about, and I’ll answer all the questions I can, but we’re at the hotel. Once we get in the room, we’ll talk, okay?”

Jack blinked. _Oh._ He hadn’t paid attention but they did pull up to a—“Uh, are you sure about this place?” he said. It wasn’t that it looked decrepit or haunted or anything; quite the opposite. There was a large fountain in the front, cypress trees lining the long, curved driveway. It was a really more of a mansion, and he didn’t exactly have that much cash on hand.

Mark turned off the car and turned to Jack. “Don’t worry, I can afford this—it’s surprisingly inexpensive. It’s actually run by people like us, and it’s very safe. It’s not the first place someone would think to look for us. They also have a lot of security here—cameras, guards, alarms, you name it.” He patted Jack’s shoulder. “We’ll be out of harm’s way, at least for a little while. C’mon, let’s get our stuff and get a room.”  
After getting their things out of the trunk and leaving the keys with a valet (Mark explained that they always expect people, especially in the middle of the night) and entered the lobby. It was just as posh on the inside, with a chandelier high up on the ceiling, marble columns, and the occasional plant or piece of art dotted around the many loveseats and armchairs.

A receptionist looked up, smiling warmly at the YouTubers. “Hello. How may I help you?” The woman, a brunette, had startling green eyes and a strange scent to her. Those eyes seemed to be calling to Jack, beckoning, and he needed to go to them…

A hand grabbed his own, jerking his thoughts to a halt. He blinked quickly, shocked to see that he had moved, and turned to see Mark glaring at the woman. “Don’t,” he warned her, and it rumbled in his chest as he gripped Jack tighter. “I didn’t realize that you were allowed to do that to guests.”

The brunette pouted playfully. “But he’s so cute! I didn’t know he was yours.” The look was wiped clean in an instant and she was all business again. Jack was very confused but decided to keep his silence, vowing to ask Mark what the hell that was when they were alone.

Typing away at the computer, she frowned slightly. “We have only a few rooms left. There have been many people staying lately…” she trailed off. “What would you like?”

“A double, please,” Mark said in a tone with minimal politeness.

The woman pursed her lips, though didn’t voice her thoughts. “Room 319 is all yours. How long will you be staying with us?”

“Three nights.”

“Here are your keys,” she said, sliding them across the countertop, returning to typing away.

The half-Korean dropped Jack’s hand to pick them up and walked quickly back. “Let’s go,” he murmured, picking up his suitcase in one hand and resting the other on the younger man’s back, guiding him to the elevator.

Their room was on the third floor. After a short ride, they found the room easily and unlocked the door, gratefully dropping their luggage on either bed.  
  
“So, um, that was weird.” Jack wanted to facepalm himself, mortified. “What even was that?”

Mark unzipped his suitcase, pulling out a pair of pajamas, a toothbrush and toothpaste. “Why don’t we get comfortable first? There’s a lot to talk about.” He looked up at the Irishman, eyes unreadable.

“Okay?” Jack watched his friend go to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. _Is he angry at me?_ He cringed, hating when people were upset at something he did or said. _I know I was stupid, but I don’t even know why I did that. She was nice-looking, yeah, but compared to Mark, she pretty average.”_ Jack blushed furiously at his thoughts. _Oookay, let’s move on and not think about how he’s just in the next room taking off his clothes, or that’s he’s going to sleep just a little bit away, and that his scent is everywhere…_ This time, the younger man did facepalm himself, groaning aloud. _Fuck. Why are my thoughts so goddamn uncontrollable lately?!_

He was startled by the opening of the bathroom door. Mark entered the room and gave a small smile to Jack. “I took a short shower; I hope you don’t mind,” he said, moving to sit on the bed he had chosen. “I’ll wait, so take as long as you need.”

Jack hurriedly took out some clothes and his own toothbrush and paste. “Y-yeah, I’ll take a quick one, too.” Hopefully, a warm shower would relax him a little.

* * *

  
Opening the door when he was done, any stress the shower did take away was returned twofold. Jack was nervous for some reason. He spied Mark flipping idly through the television, looking at him before turning it off. The older man cleared his throat. “Do you want to sit down?”

Jack nodded and sat down on his own bed, sitting cross-legged and playing with the hem of his sweatpants. He waited patiently for Mark to start talking. After a few long moments, Jack called his friend’s name softly.

It seemed to shock the man. “Ah, sorry; I didn’t know where to start,” he explained sheepishly.

“What about that receptionist?” Jack asked. He reddened immediately in embarrassment. “Sorry, I don’t even know what happened, not really.”

The younger man saw his friend’s jaw clench. “I know, Jack. I’ll be talking to the manager, that’s for sure. She shouldn’t have done that, especially to you.”

“Um, what _did_ she do?”  
Mark let out a long breath, shifting on the other bed, one leg on the floor and the other beneath him. “You know how I said that there are others like us here?” At Jack’s soft _yeah_ , he continued. “What I meant is that there are other supernaturals here. You know, like from myths and stuff. That woman was actually a vampire.”

Jack paled slightly. “Y-you mean there are actual vampires?” he squeaked. He wasn’t afraid or anything, but real, true vampires existed in the world? _At least she didn’t sparkle,_ he thought deliriously.

The half-Korean frowned. “Are you okay?”

Swallowing, Jack ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. It’s just a little crazy, I guess. But no more crazy than me, I guess. It’s really surprising is all.”

“It is. I can’t imagine what it’s like, not growing up with this knowledge. If I’m going too fast or if you have any questions, let me know, okay? I’ll do my best.” Mark ran a hand through his hair, and Jack felt a brief surge of jealousy _(I want to touch that hair,)_ but he shook himself mentally. Now was not the time.

“Right. So, that woman,” the Mark continued. “She was using her thrall on you. It’s an inherent trait they—all vampires, that is—have, and they use it as a tool to help them survive. They usually only use it on humans to get them to be compliant. That’s how vampires feed without getting caught. It causes the human, or person it’s being used on, to not remember anything. The bite marks fade fairly fast, and the bite is supposedly actually pleasurable. A lot of vampires use it during, uh, intercourse,” Mark blushed briefly. “They can bite each other and feed from each other, though it doesn’t do anything except cause pleasure. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. They need human blood, or blood that isn’t from a vampire, to survive.”

Jack furrowed his brow. “Huh. That is kind of rude, then, to do that to guests.”

Mark nodded. “She wanted more than your blood, too, but to use her thrall like that, it’s abusing it, really. Plus, you were with me.”

“Yeah, why did she call me yours? Does she think you’re a vampire, too?” The Irishman asked, tilting his head.

“Oh wow, it’s that late?” the other man said suddenly, peering at a digital clock on the nightstand between the beds. Jack glanced at it as well; it was past one in the morning. “Maybe we should try to get some sleep. We’ll have all of tomorrow to talk anyways, and it would probably be better to understand after a full night’s sleep and some food.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Well, if you’re tired, you should probably go to bed then. I can wait a few more hours.” Mark was obviously avoiding that question for whatever reason, but he figured he’d let his friend slide for now, but not forever. It had been a long day, and though Jack didn’t think he’d get to sleep so easily, he agreed that maybe it would be better to try to sleep.

So the two men slipped under the covers and turned off the lights.

* * *

  
Jack woke slowly at first. He didn’t recognize anything in the room or remember anything from the night before, and his heart sped up until his brain recalled the images with startling clarity. He swallowed, feeling nauseous all over again at remembering blood, bone, sinew, screams—he sat up quickly, glancing over to the other bed, empty, and the bathroom door open. Swallowing again, Jack bit down on his tongue and sped to the bathroom, quickly flipping the lid and throwing up. He was shaking and crying, and it was just so _sudden_ , the remembrance, and he could only react physically to it.

 _They deserved it, they were going to kill us, God, will I ever get used to this?_ his thoughts went, circling around and rambling. Jack hadn’t ever really cared for gore, but when he was the cause of it, it just hit home that much harder. There was still guilt and shame, but there was a side that felt contentment at what he had done, and that scared him more than when he thought he was going to die.

When the last of his nausea subsided, he was still breathing and sweating heavily. _Everything smells so intense now,_ he thought. Jack flushed the toilet and got unsteadily to his feet, grasping the wall as a brief dizziness washed over him. He turned and washed his mouth out before reaching for his toothbrush and paste. After he was done and had splashed water onto his face, he turned to get his clothes to change.

He gratefully pulled the worn jeans and the soft t-shirt on, feeling slightly better, if still a little queasy. Hopefully, it would fade in time.

Just as he shoved the pajamas into a pocket of the suitcase, the door banged open, making Jack jump. Mark was there, holding coffee in a carrying box in one hand and a bag in the other. “Sorry,” the older man chuckled. “I’m glad you’re awake, though. I brought food and stuff.” Jack rushed to help him set everything up at the quaint table in the room.

“Ah, thanks,” the Irishman said. He reached for a bottle of water (there were muffins and some fruit, too, but he figured he would sip water and see how he felt in a bit).

“Sorry, were you sick?” Mark asked. “We don’t have to eat now, or I can get you some ginger ale or something if you’d prefer.”

Jack grimaced. “Yeah, I just… everything kinda rushed back to me all at once, before I could really think, ya know?” The half-Korean nodded. “I’m feeling better now though, but I’ll stick to water for a bit. I could probably eat in a half hour or so. I’m not really ill, or anything, just uneasy, I guess. Fuck, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“No, no, it’s okay, really,” soothed Mark. “Are you… do you still want to talk, or do you want to wait a little bit?”

“Hmm. I think we’ve already put this off long enough, right? And I’m not worried really, not about wolf-stuff or whatever, so I’m okay.” Jack sat down and took slow sips of water, his friend moving to sit across from him. “Whenever you wanna start is fine with me.”

Silence reigned for a few moments as Mark picked at his muffin. “Where to begin?” he mumbled, ruffling his hair. “I’m apologizing for my awkwardness and shit explanations ahead of time,” he said with a crooked smile. “Well, you’re definitely a werewolf, and I am, too. ‘Shifter’ is another term for werewolves. You know vampires exist, so I’m sure you won’t have trouble believing that other supernaturals exist as too. I really only know the basics of the other groups. Like, I know vampires drink from humans because their bodies can’t produce enough hemoglobin to stay alive. Vampires don’t drain a person dry or kill, but they drink enough to make you feel woozy for a bit.”

Jack blinked. “Really? So they do it for medical reasons, then? Wow.”

“Yup,” hummed Mark. “Like I said, their bites cause pleasure to the one being bitten, and they use their thrall to get a more willing donor. They do have fangs, but only when they feed. I think vampires drink every day, maybe more than once. Basically, there’s a whole other world out there, sort of. Not like a planet or dimension or something, but sort of…”

“Sorta like Harry Potter?” Jack interjected helpfully.

Mark nodded. “Exactly. I mean, we don’t call humans muggles or anything; they’re just regular. We actually call ourselves humans, too, but we’re more than that, so we usually use the term ‘supernatural’. Oh! There are witches, but that’s a unisex term for them. They’re basically humans with magic, and don’t look any different. I know they use incantations and that they’re in tune with the earth. I suppose you could say that they’re somewhat like dryads, and they used to be called that in ancient times.” He sighed. “I really only know the basics of witches. Supernaturals don’t really mingle with each other, not usually. It’s more for safety reasons that anything.”

The Irishman nodded. “That makes sense. I mean, people fucking died if they were accused of being witches way back when.”

“They did,” Mark said softly. “Even though things have changed so much, there’s still a lot of fear. And it might be warranted.” He tapped his fingers against the table. “I need to call some people later, actually.”

Jack sat up straight, suddenly anxious. “Because of what happened last night. I mean, that’s why we left, right?”

“Those people in that alley—they had to have been hunters, humans that kill all supernaturals, but I thought they had died out,” the older man explained. “I’m sorry; I don’t want to scare you. But they knew that I was a werewolf, and that should be nearly impossible for humans to detect. They didn’t know you were one, and neither did I, but those pills… once we get to that place I mentioned, there might be people that could help us figure out that mystery.” Mark briefly covered Jack’s hand in comfort. “I don’t know how much they knew about me, but we weren’t safe at my place.”

“It sucks balls!” exclaimed Jack. “I was so looking forward to this, to spending time with you and going to the convention, and now it’s fucking ruined.”

Mark chuckled. “Yeah, it does suck.”

The younger man grabbed a muffin and bit into it angrily. His appetite had returned, though whether it was because he didn’t feel as bad about taking out the supposed hunters he couldn’t say. After gulping down his now cold coffee, he felt calm enough to ask, “So, should you call those people now?”

The half-Korean thought for a minute. “I probably should, but there’s still so much to talk about, and I want you to know everything now, just in case.” He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was 10:43. “Ken should be awake.”

“Oh yeah!” said Jack. “It’s our Ken, right? Toasty Ken?” At Mark’s nod, he continued. “Yeah, you didn’t tell me last night—is he a werewolf, too? What about Mary?”

“Ken is a werewolf,” Mark confirmed. “And Mary is, too. They are mates, actually.”

“Mates? Like, actual mates, as in the term used for…” he wanted to say _animals_ , but it sounded kind of rude in his mind, so he didn’t finish.

“Yup. That’s definitely something exclusive to us shifters.” There was an awkward pause, then, “uh, that’s actually something we need to talk about,” said Mark.

Jack tilted his head, a strange clarity spreading through him. “You’re embarrassed. Is it sort of like ‘The Talk’?”

Mark’s face briefly reddened. “A little. But there’s a lot more to it than you’d think.” He grabbed a water and opened it up, taking a gulp before setting it back on the table, flush gone. “There are a lot of theories about it because it’s such a unique trait to not just supernaturals, but of all living organisms. It might sound weird, but I’ll try to make it as clear as possible.” Mark leaned an elbow on the table. “It’s similar to a dating site, where they match profiles for compatibility or whatever, except we don’t do it ourselves. For every one person, there are a handful of potential mates, or ‘potentials’, but most don’t ever meet more than one or two.”

“That’s kind of sad,” Jack mumbled, frowning at the table.

“How so?”

The Irishman looked up in surprise. “Oh, sorry. I just meant that it’s like you’re not giving the other, uh, potentials a chance.”

Mark appeared to think for a moment. “I never thought of it like that. I suppose it is sad, in a way. Most people go by the theory that it’s a big world, and two potentials would really only meet in person if it was meant to be. I mean, technology has made a lot of progress so traveling is much easier, but not everyone travels much outside of their towns or states. Werewolves usually meet a potential in school or work, and they don’t feel a need to change that unless it doesn’t work out.”

“So, it’s not a sure thing, then?” Jack asked.

“It’s like any normal relationship,” Mark said, “except that you feel a pull towards a particular individual, and they are as close to perfect for you as you can get. It’s rare that it doesn’t work out, but it happens. Of course, once you mate, it’s for life, but there’s never been an instance (that I know of) where you drift apart after, or the relationship falls apart. It just doesn’t happen.”

Jack rubbed at his eyes. “I’m so confused.”

“Wh-what? Why?”

The younger man shrugged. “I don’t know, but it sort of feels like your free will is being taken away. Like, how do you know that it’s for real? Has there really _never_ been a case of a mating not working out?”

“Not that I know of, but I feel like I’m explaining this all wrong. Or, maybe you just have to grow up in our culture to understand.” Mark sucked at his lip for a moment. “Okay. Shifters are satisfied with the idea of only ever having one potential. Maybe it seems like no one else gets a chance, but we don’t see it like that. I really haven’t heard of any mated pair not working out, and I’m sure it would have been widely known if it was. Once you’re bonded, you just _know_ how to make your mate happy, and who doesn’t want that? It’s a love that’s so complete and fulfilling and understanding. It’s something humans only dream about, really. I don’t know if it’s a drive to make one’s mate happy or not, but take your relationship. You had a girlfriend, right? And you wanted to make her happy because you wanted to, not just for the sake of the relationship, right?”

Jack nodded. “I mean, sure. Of course I wanted to make her happy, because it made me happy to see that. It was good for the relationship, but it didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do.”

“Exactly,” Mark said. “From what I know, it’s the same thing for mates. You just feel a deeper connection, and you want to hold on to it because it’s like a deeper level of bliss that you both feel and reciprocate. You want to spread that around, not keep it to yourself. Does that make more sense?”

“It does, actually. I still feel a little sad about basically giving up on other people—er, potentials—though. But I do understand that people have limitations, and I guess that if you’re happy with someone, you wouldn’t go looking around for something better if you thought you already had it good. That would just be greedy and fucking rude,” laughed Jack.

Mark smirked. “Pretty much.” The smile fell away and he sighed. “There’s so much to cover still. And I keep putting off the important part. I’m sorry.”

Jack licked his lips. “I understand. No one wants to talk about difficult things if they don’t have to.”

“You’re my potential mate!” Mark blurted out.

If Jack had been drinking or eating anything, he would’ve choked. As it was, his breath stuttered. “S-so then, you feel it, too?” His face instantly flooded with color. “Ah, so, umm…” he said, unable to finish. _Now what?_

“Sorry, sorry, shit, fuck, ass and tits!” The older man hissed, pulling at his hair. “I, I kinda messed that up. I’ve never... I’ve never done this before, and it just kinda came out, you know? Fuck, I’m sorry.”

Swallowing nervously, Jack said, “It’s okay, really. I’m—I’m just surprised, is all. I mean, I like you, and I guess you like me, too, so that’s something,” he rambled, accent growing incredibly thick in a strange mix of embarrassment and joy. Biting his lip, he voiced his thoughts. “So what do we do now?”

Mark laughed nervously. “Well, we don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I mean, it’s not like people just see a potential and go over there and start the bonding process, you know? Sure, in all likelihood it’s gonna happen, but not immediately.”

“So we date? Just like that?”

“Not if you don’t want to. That’s not to say I don’t want to date you,” the half-Korean hurriedly added. “I do, like a lot. But I can wait if you’re not ready.”

Jack bit his thumb, thinking. “In the end, though, we’ll probably… right?”

Mark nodded slowly. “It must be sorta scary to think about for you. Like I said, we’ll only do what you’re comfortable with. We can take as long as you want and if you do meet someone else…” he trailed off, frowning.

The Irishman shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I—well, I can’t actually imagine anyone else. I don’t want to, either, and maybe that sounds stubborn or ignorant but you said, before, that if two potentials that lived far from each other met, it was sort of like destiny.” He laced his fingers nervously. “I actually believe that, and I’ve never felt this way about anyone else, cliché as that is. I’m not saying I’m ready for the bonding process, whatever that entails, because it sounds intense, and I just really want to get to know you better. We’re already friends; in fact, you’re like my best friend. I might feel ready for more sooner rather than later, even. Uh, sorry for going on,” Jack said sheepishly. “Is that okay?”

“That’s more than okay,” said Mark, smiling. “I’m really happy, actually. I’ll be here, and however fast or slow you wanna take this is all right with me.” He held out his hand, palm up, on the table, and Jack took it and gently squeezed, grinning back.

“I’m happy, too.”

After a moment the two broke apart. “So, there’s still a shit ton of stuff you need to know, but do you have any questions about anything else?” Mark asked.

Jack hummed, thinking. “I guess the bonding or mating or whatever. How does that work?” Even though he was still a little uncomfortable thinking about it, he really wanted—no, needed—to know. _It sounds pretty sexual,_ he thought. _But Mark sounded so damn wistful thinking about it, and I’m a curious bastard. Besides, I… I do kind of want to be closer to him that way, at least a little bit._

“Ah.” Mark cleared his throat. “Yeah, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. It does involve, uh, mating, or sex. But it’s only done when one of the potentials goes into heat.”

Jack blinked, confused. “Wait, I thought only females went into heat.”

“We are similar in that way. You see, there are different dynamics with us shifters. It has some bearing on our lives as humans, but really only comes into effect when we transform. We’re not as inhibited that way, but we still retain our human selves. It’s not like we’re mindless beasts,” the older man said. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I do,” Jack said, remembering his own transformation. He had felt freer in a way, not as encumbered by human misgivings. _Sort of like alcohol lowers inhibitions,_ he thought.

Mark nodded. “Right. The dynamics are similar to the wild wolves’, except that we also have a human form. Our biology is different, however alike we are to them. We do have Alphas, and they are pretty much what you’d expect—strong, leaders, but not as aggressive unless they feel threatened in some way, whether to themselves, mates, pups, or pack.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I’m assuming that ‘pups’ mean babies?”

“Yeah, it’s weird, right?” Mark affirmed. “You’d think they’d be called cubs, but nope. I mean, we call them babies too, but it’s usually just pups. Anyways,” he continued. “Alphas help take care of the pack by making sure they are safe and everything. It used to be, waaaay back when we all lived in packs, that Betas would hunt and bring in the majority of resources for the group, but nowadays we all take care of ourselves, more or less. Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “It’s still instinct, but everyone takes care of themselves.”

“Then why form packs?” asked the Irishman.

“Like I said, instinct. We form packs in modern times to live as a community, to have people to talk to and be around, and the workload is more evenly shared. It can get lonely otherwise,” said Mark.

“Gotcha,” Jack said. _It makes sense, if you think about it. If they’re hiding from humans that would kill them, werewolves would have to conceal such obvious aspects._

“That’s pretty much it for Alphas: physically powerful, natural leaders, protective. The Betas are usually strong as well—they had to be, because they were the primary hunters—but they’re also really smart and resourceful. Not much else to say about them.” The older man paused before continuing. “The final dynamic type is Omega. In wild wolf packs, they are the lowest, but it’s almost the opposite with werewolves. You see, Omegas are actually a rarity among us. There are only a few born every hundred years. They’re not buff like Alphas, and they’re not as strong, but their immune systems are better. Omegas rarely ever get sick, physically or mentally. They also produce the strongest offspring, especially with an Alpha mate, and they aren’t afraid to fight if they have to, particularly when it comes to their pups.”

Jack was in awe. _Damn, there are so many intricacies to this stuff! It’s actually really amazing,_ he thought. Aloud, he said, “So how do you know which dynamic you are?”

Mark took a long sip of water before replying. “It’s in different tendencies you have, but it’s most telling when you have your heat. Like, Alphas are more likely to become class president or take charge in projects. Betas are creative and do really well in school. Omegas, well, they take care of people. They have a lot of empathy and love, and are happy often. All three dynamics have their own heats, and it’s not until you meet your potential do they start to coincide. An Alpha will have a heat once a year, Betas twice a year, and Omegas once every 18 months or more. Depending on the dynamic, it can last for a two to eight days. Werewolves live longer than humans, so we’re not as fertile as them.”

“What are heats like?” Jack asked.

Mark hummed. “Betas, since they have their heat twice a year, have a gentle cycle. Alphas aren’t as affected either, though they feel the need to sire more, to continue the pack. Unfortunately, Omegas have it the worst, or so I’ve heard. They have a heat that can last for a week or more, and it’s very uncomfortable. They get itchy and tired, angry, and hungry as hell. The other dynamics don’t feel those symptoms nearly as badly or for as long, at least until they mate.”

The Irishman nodded. “So how do their heats sync up?”

“It’s when two potentials are ready to become soul mates. It’s an innate thing, though it is influenced by your own thoughts and emotions. Maybe subconscious is a better word.” Mark shrugged a shoulder. “Either way, you just know when you’re ready. You don’t struggle over the decision because it just becomes clear that you want to take it further.”

“Do you know your dynamic?” Jack asked suddenly.

The half-Korean nodded. “I’m an Alpha.”

The younger man bit his lower lip. “I wonder which dynamic I am. Do you have any ideas?”

Mark took a deep breath. “I do have an idea, actually. It’ll be hard to wrap your head around because this isn’t stuff that’s normal. I mean, like way beyond normal.”

“I think we’re well beyond normal,” Jack snorted.

Mark smiled, “That’s true. In that case, I’m almost positive you’re an Omega. You fit the qualities of one to a T, and since I’m an Alpha and your potential, as a male, it’s nearly guaranteed.”

“Why does it matter what gender you are?”

“Think about it,” Mark said. “It’s extremely rare for same-sex mates to occur, and shifters are made to breed and take care of a pack. If there is a homosexual couple, there needs to be a way to impregnate one. Not to mention that there’s no time to prep someone when you’re in heat, and it’s not nearly as satisfying to use tools to try to get the job done, either. Evolution provided a way for things to be easier.”

Jack frowned. “How so?”

“Essentially, Alphas are dominate and Omegas are submissive. Male Omegas can become pregnant, and female Alphas can sire. Female Alphas can grow a penis for their mate’s heat. Male Omegas have a more permanent addition; they are born with the parts to make and carry babies, but there’s really no room to birth them, except for, uh,” Mark gestured flatly. “Except for the anus. It’s comparable to a chicken or other bird. They have something called a cloaca, which (as gross as it sounds), is where waste and offspring come out of. Same for male Omegas.”

The younger man swallowed thickly. “So, so if I’m really an Omega, which you’re saying I am, then I can… Oh boy,” he said, dropping his head to his hands. “That’s fucking terrifying to think about, Mark.”

“I don’t know the complex theories behind these evolutionary things, so I’m sorry I can’t tell you more about it. I never wanted to scare you, either.” The other YouTuber eyed him sadly. “But I’m here for you, and I always will be. No matter what, we’ll get through this.”

Jacked licked his lips. “I know. It’s just overwhelming, is all,” he said, sighing. “I’ve never had a heat before, so I guess those pills I was taking stopped them from coming. I’m not looking forward to that,” he laughed weakly. “Anyways, is there anything else you wanna tell me?”

Mark thought for a moment. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that your senses have improved, especially your olfactory senses.”

“You mean my nose? Yeah, it sucked throwing up earlier,” Jack quipped. “Things are a lot sharper now. But if that’s the case, why do you wear glasses?”

“That’s a really good question,” his potential said. “Remember, Alphas (and Betas for that matter) aren’t immune to physical or mental issues like Omegas are. Even though we’re generally healthier than humans and live much longer, we ain’t got nothing on you guys,” Mark smirked.

“How much longer _do_ we live?”

“We age at the same rate until we hit or mid-20’s, then slow down. There have been cases of shifters living as long as 300 years,” the older man said.

Jack’s jaw dropped. “Holy fucking hell! That’s crazy!”

Mark shrugged. “It is, but it also sucks because we have to move around every few years or so.”

“Wait,” said the Irishman, eyes narrowing. “How long were you going to keep going on YouTube?”

“Meh, I’d keep going for as long as I could. I’d probably blame it on my Asian-ness, and/or wear makeup. Eventually I would have to give it up, but that was always going to happen.”

“That’s true. Um, one final question, and then—” a loud rumble filled the room. Jack blushed. “Yeah, lunch. So, you knew I was your potential mate, even though you thought I was human, right?” Mark nodded. “Okay, so what about the heat cycle thingies then? You said werewolves don’t wait around when they’re ready.”

“How do I put this?” the older man asked. “Even though it’s rare, it’s not unheard of to have a human potential. Like I said before, when the pair are ready to bond, their heats sync up. Humans females have them to an extent, but not males. There have been only two cases of a same-sex male couple, one human and one shifter. The Alpha goes into a very gentle heat to begin the process, so he’s not entirely lost to the call to mate, but isn’t as careful as he should be. It’s up to the other male to, er, prepare himself. I don’t know if the bond is any different for them, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything else about it.”

Jack nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. Now let’s eat; I’m fucking starving!” he said, getting up and cleaning their breakfast off the table. “I’m sure I’ll have more questions, but they can wait. Oh, but shouldn’t you call Ken?”

Mark grinned. “Let’s eat first. I’m hungry as hell, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this beast of a chapter--it's 21 freaking pages. I worked on it every day, typing more than a 1000 words daily. If there are any typos or awkward words or repetitive stuff, let me know and I'll fix it. Otherwise, please tell me what you think. Was this too boring, or are things getting more interesting for you? As always, thank you for reading :)


	5. Through the Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart goes out to everyone in Paris. It pains me to know that people can hate others this much, and want to cause harm to innocent people. I'm sorry if this chapter is inappropriate for the current situation, so if you are deeply affected by this, please don't read this chapter, at least right now. There is a lot of violence.

After a filling lunch with his potential mate (room service prices were worth it), Mark was incredibly giddy. Deciding to head out of the room they had been in for half the day, the two YouTubers wandered the gardens bordering a forest out back. They tentatively held hands, Jack blushing whenever the older man’s thumb brushed the back of his hand, and they talked about anything and everything. There were more questions asked and Mark answered them to the best of his ability.

“When you say that you ‘mate’ with someone,” Jack began, “what does that mean, exactly? I’m not trying to be a pervert or anything; I guess I just wanna know if there’s anything different than human intercourse.”

“In our human forms, it’s really not any different. I don’t know if you’re, ah, knowledgeable of how two men do it,” said Mark, gesturing between them, the Irishman nodding. “But yeah. It’s pretty normal, unless you’re in heat. The actual mating and bonding process happens when we transform to our wolf selves, though. Again, there are a lot of theories about it, but it’s basically chalked up to our instincts and how we’re a bit freer then. Um, for male Omegas, they don’t need any prepping when they’re in heat, in either form. And for Alphas, we-we actually knot.”

Jack sputtered for a moment. “I-you-you actually—”

Mark gave a half shrug. “Well, we are werewolves. Canines, you know?”

In all honesty, he never questioned anything he had learned in his life as a shifter. It was a little odd to be explaining these things, but he was still happy to do it. _I feel bad that he was denied his heritage, though. We need answers to his situation, not to mention what happened last night._ He scowled briefly before his features softened at Jack’s quizzical look. “Sorry, just thinking.”

“It’s so weird, isn’t it?”

Jack murmured. “Like, I never… I mean, I’m still human, but a little something extra, too, and it’s almost overwhelming, yet it feels so _natural,_ so—um, I guess you could say peaceful? Like I somehow knew all along even though I know I haven’t. It feels right, and I’m not really different. I can just do stuff other humans can’t.”

He ran a hand over his face. “Jesus. I’m feeling all these things and I just... I am so glad to have you here with me, like you’re solid ground pushing me up and forward and supporting me.”

Mark was alarmed to see tears dropping from those blue eyes. He rushed to his potential’s side, hugging him tightly around the middle as he kneeled on the ground. “I’m so sorry, Jack. I wish you had known, but I’ll always be here for you. _Always._ ” He said, wiping away saline streams from Jack’s face, feeling his own eyes water. Mark gripped the younger man’s hand, squeezing it, before leaning in and brushing a kiss on his forehead. Jack gripped back, smiling a little.

“Gah, I hate crying,” he said thickly.

“And I hate seeing you cry. But no matter what happens, I’ll be there to wipe them away and make you feel better. Promise,” the half-Korean said, leaning in and kissing his potential softly.

It was a chaste kiss, to be sure, but Mark felt a sudden rush of joy, like stepping through a waterfall on a hot day. Jack gasped, red suffusing his face as the older man pulled back. “Was that okay?” Mark asked.

Jack nodded shyly. “That was more than okay, actually. I never felt like that before. It’s amazing,” he breathed.

Mark nodded. “It’s nearly breathtaking. I can’t tell you how happy I am to know that you are mine.”

The younger man frowned. “That sounds kinda possessive there,” he said.

Mark jumped to explain. “Sorry, it’s an instinct thing. I mean, I want you, and I don’t want anyone else to want you—it’s similar to human jealousy?” He said uncertainly. “It’s a little more intense I think. You’re not an object or anything, but you are mine to protect, and care for, and love; just as I am yours.”

Jack bit his lip. “I understand. I didn’t mean to make it sound bad; I guess I’m surprised. This is new to me, ya know? Like, I’ve only been in relationships with girls, and it’s like I know the role I have to play. Now? I’m not so certain anymore.” He paused briefly. “Everything just kinda happened suddenly, didn’t it?” he chuckled.

“That it did,” Mark smirked. “And I might be the more dominant one in wolf form, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be dominant, either—especially as a human.”

The Irishman blushed. “I’ll let you take the lead for now, thanks.”

* * *

They returned to their room shortly after lunch. Mark did have a call to make, but he wanted some privacy first—away from anyone outside that could be listening in. He didn’t want to scare anyone.

Mark sat on his bed, looking at his phone. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” Jack sat next to his potential.

Mark could feel the nervous energy radiating from him, so he held Jack’s hand. “Hopefully we’ll get some answers.” The older man started the call and put it on speaker. After a few rings, a voice answered.

“Hey Mark. What’s up?” asked Ken.

“Crazy shit, Ken. There’s been a lot of stuff happening and I wanted to call you so you could contact the Elders if possible. We’re coming down there soon.”

The bearded man’s tone turned serious. “You too? Are you okay? Who is ‘we’?”

Mark looked at Jack in confusion, his potential’s face curious. “Me and Jack, actually. But what did you say?”

“Jack? Jacksepticeye? Our Jack? How’d that—never mind, I’m sure you’ll explain.” Ken sighed harshly. “Anyway, I asked if you guys were attacked as well and if you’re okay. There’s… there’s been a lot of attacks lately, and not just to us shifters. People are _dying_ , Mark.”

The younger man jumped into the conversation. “Are you and Mary okay?”

“Oh, hi Jack. I’m glad you’re safe now. I’ve been worried a lot recently. Us supernaturals are being targeted, and we think it’s from Hunters. No one really knows what’s going in,” Ken said in a rush.

Mark gripped Jack’s hand tighter. “How bad is it?”

There was a pause. “Bad. Like dozens, maybe a hundred or more, all over the country. Witches, vampires, heck—even the merpeople near the islands.”

The duo gasped. “How is this happening? Shit,” Mark hissed. “We’ll be exposed if we try to fight back!”

“I know,” Ken said softly. “There’s been talk of a Grand Council here.”

“This is serious,” said Mark. “That hasn’t been done in hundreds of years.”

“What is that?”

Mark looked at his potential. “It’s where the Elders of all races of supernaturals come together to find ways to protect us. That hasn’t happened since the Dark Times.”

“The first meeting happened when we were on the brink of extinction,” Ken explained. “We came up with ways to become unnoticed, to be safe; we were losing the war. That’s how we established the colonies of us supernaturals. A lot of people thought the Hunters had died out, but—”

“But obviously they haven’t,” Mark finished.

Jack pressed a hand to his forehead. “There’s so much I don’t know.”

Mark gave Jack a sad look before returning his gaze to the phone. “There’s another issue here, and it’s pretty serious,” he said. “We don’t know what to make of it.”

“I’m listening.”

“We were walking out at night and we were jumped. They grabbed Jack and threatened us. They knew I was a shifter, but thought Jack was human. They were going to kill us, but then Jack changed.”

Said man jumped in. “Y’see, I was told that I was a hemophiliac by my parents. I had to take this medicine every day at the same time or I could die. I was in a rush and not seeing where I was going. Some guy grabbed me, another held a knife to me, and the third guy had a gun. But then I,” Jack took a deep breath. “Then I started changing. I didn’t understand, I just had to _kill_ them. So I did; I killed two of them, and managed to nearly bite the other fucker’s hand off.”

Mark moved closer to Jack in support. The Irishman was pale and shaking slightly.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that Jack. I can’t even imagine,” Ken whispered.

“I’m still processing it. I actually _enjoyed_ killing them. Eventually I stopped and changed back; I blacked out so I don’t know what happened after that.”

“I took care of the scene the best I could before we headed to my place. He was hurt pretty bad. He’s okay now of course,” said Mark. “The third guy got away.”

The two heard Ken hum. “But didn’t you say they thought he was a human? At the Pax he smelt human.”

Mark nodded even though the other couldn’t see. “Yeah; we think the pills were suppressing him somehow.”

“I got them with me,” Jack said. “I never knew anything about any of this until now, but Mark is helping me.”

The couple smiled at each other briefly.

“So let me get this straight,” the bearded man began. “Jack took pills that possibly suppressed his heritage completely, never knew about shifters or supernaturals, and suddenly changed after not taking his medicine on time, right? And you were attacked by Hunters who knew about you two.”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“I’m not a doctor or scientist or anything, but it seems odd. You were late taking a pill one night, but I don’t think that’s the only factor. I think,” Ken began, “but don’t quote me on this: Jack, those pills go through your system quickly, but I don’t think that being late by itself caused you to change. I’m sure you’ve been late before, right?”

“Sometimes, yeah,” said Jack. “I think I get what you’re saying, though—that I shifted because I was under duress. Not taking the pill on time isn’t enough to make me change.”

Ken’s voice brightened. “Exactly. I’ve never heard of anything like this before, but I’m glad you guys are coming down here. I’m sure the Elders will want to know and ask you both questions anyway. Do you know when you’ll be here?”

Mark thought for a moment. “In a couple of days. They knew who I was, and one got away, so I’m sure using my cards is a bad idea. We’ll probably have to drive down there, or take a bus. Either way, it’ll be a few days ‘til we get there.”

“Alright. I’m guessing you want me to tell the Elders ahead of time though,” said Ken.

“Please do,” the half-Korean said gratefully. “I guess that’s it. Got any questions?”

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just happy you two are safe, and I hope you’ll continue to be safe on your journey. Good luck,” Ken said.

After disconnecting, the pair continued to sit on the bed, absorbing the information they were given.

“This is getting even more serious. Why are we being hunted down? Aren’t we humans, too? People? How can anyone hate someone so much that they want to eliminate an entire people?” Jack bit his lip. “Sure, I wanted to kill those-those Hunters, but only because my wolf-self couldn’t do anything else. It was us or them.”

Mark held the other man, comforting him with a hand on his back. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m not glad they are gone permanently, but you had to do what you did. You saved us, and might have saved other people, too—innocent people.”

The Irishman sat up. “I know. I don’t like thinking about it, because I’m sure they had people that will be sad they’re dead. It’s sort of like playing God, except we don’t know everything, or the repercussions it could cause. How can we weigh one life against another?”

“You know, I love that about you,” Mark said, smiling. “I love your innocence, and how you can always see that people have value, even if we can’t see it.”

Jack blushed. “I’m a peace-loving man, Mark.” He thought for a moment. “I know that the world is a terrible place and that things like this happen all the time, though. As much as I wish we could all live peacefully, it’s never going to happen—or if it does, it won’t stay that way for long. Humans are easily corruptible beings. So while I hate war and violence, sometimes I know it’s a necessary evil.”

“How did I ever get so lucky to have such a wise, loving, and smart boyfriend like you?” the older man asked, nearly breathless in awe. _He is so absolutely_ perfect, Mark thought.

“You’re making me look like a tomato here!” Jack whined. “Besides, I’m the lucky one! You’re just as smart and wonderful and caring!”

Mark laughed. “Then I guess you’re the cutest tomato there ever was, aren’t you?”

“Maaaark!”

* * *

Later that night, the two potential mates were getting ready for bed. They had spent the rest of the day planning out their trip to Mississippi and spending time with each other. Even though things were getting frightening, they found comfort in one another’s strengths.

They had talked with the receptionist again (Mark never letting Jack stray far from his side) and eventually talked with the manager. The older man did report the female vampire, though it was downplayed by the information of national attacks by possible Hunters against supernaturals.

“I wish you hadn’t bothered reporting her, Mark. And in the grand scheme of things, someone making a pass at me—before we even got together, mind you—it’s a little small, ain’t it?”

Said man growled. “I know, I know; it just pisses me off! She’s getting away with it, and she shouldn’t have done that anyway!”

Jack frowned. “She apologized, and I think she was genuine.” His features evened out. "Besides, there are bigger things to worry about. She was reprimanded, end of story. Let’s move on, okay?”

Mark huffed but agreed. “Fine; I won’t say anymore about it.” _But I definitely won’t let you go anywhere near her alone._ He relaxed slightly. _In fact, it’s probably better to just stick together anyways; everything is still so new to him, plus there are those Hunters to worry about…_ Aloud, he said: “Would you mind sleeping in the same bed? I’d feel better. Plus, who wouldn’t want to cuddle with the manliest man to ever man?” Mark said, flexing and grinning like a fool.

Jack burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, you’re so hot, babe.”

“I am!” The older man pouted. The expression fell into a grimace; his instincts were clamoring to keep _his_ potential safe. He didn’t know if it was from interacting with that woman again, but he was feeling on edge.

The Irishman noticed his boyfriend’s expression. “Hey, are you alright? I don’t mind sharing a bed with you.”

Mark hummed. “Something is just off. My instincts are really on the surface lately, and I’d feel like I could better keep you safe if you’re with me.” He grabbed Jack and they lay down together on the bed, one lone lamp still on. “Is this okay?”

Jack turned in his arms. “Yeah. It feels nice,” he said, burying his face in Mark’s neck. “You smell nice, but…” he trailed off. “You do seem, I dunno, tense?”

“I should calm down soon enough. Let’s just try to get some sleep, okay?” At his potential’s nod, Mark reached over and shut off the lamp. Soon enough Jack’s breathing turned even, but Mark lay awake. He mentally shrugged, hoping to eventually relax and get a few hours’ sleep.

* * *

The first thing Mark noticed was the scent of smoke. He didn’t notice it consciously; it pervaded his dreams and upon waking, didn’t over-think it.

Then he heard the screams.

He shot up out of bed, disturbing Jack slightly, but not enough to wake. Mark listened intently for a few seconds. There were many people screaming, not just one person; suddenly, the smoke filtered through his mind properly and he shook his partner awake.

“Jack, something’s wrong,” he murmured, heart pounding. Mark’s instincts were coming alive with the need to protect and flee.

The younger man’s nose twitched, eyes widening. “Is it a fire?”

Mark didn’t have time to answer as their door was kicked open forcefully. He rolled Jack and himself over the bed, crouching low over his potential mate. Jack didn’t protest, and then they saw a woman walk in. She hadn’t noticed them yet, as the bed and darkness hid them well.

“See anyone?” A masculine voice called from the hallway.

The woman, dark-haired and short, was wearing all black. She had a crossbow slung over her back, and held a pistol in her hand. “Not yet. I’ll check the bathroom—you keep watch,” she said to her companion. Her eyes had not adjusted quickly enough to see the room or its occupants, which they could only be thankful for. The woman was cautious but cocky, not thoroughly checking the room first before the bathroom. She was dressed for a fight.

Jack inhaled quickly. Mark smothered him more, putting his lips very close to the Irishman’s ear while still looking out for the two intruders. “They must be Hunters,” he said hurriedly. “We can’t escape without injury or worse. Jack,” he whispered. “I’m sorry. We need to—” he didn’t finish as he felt Jack’s nod. He understood: they needed to kill, or be killed. Mark wished he could spare Jack the pain of another gruesome scene, but they were out powered, and only had the small element of surprise. If they worked quickly, they could take the two down. It was only pure, dumb luck (and perhaps sadism on the trespassers’ part, not wanting a quick and easy kill. The way the broke into the room clearly suggested stealth was not a priority) that they had this opportunity.

“Right; you take the girl, I’ll take the man. We’ll need to shift quickly and quietly. Ready?” Jack nodded again, but Mark didn’t move off him. The older man felt his potential’s shrug at the positions but didn’t argue. The two men began the transformation, Jack taking a little longer. The half-Korean was bigger than his counterpart in weight and length, and he felt slightly more protective in this state. He wished he didn’t have to leave his position that offered Jack a shield, but knew time was running out.

“Looks like no one’s—”  
Jack moved from underneath Mark and waited a split second at the corner before leaping around it and into the bathroom’s doorway. As much as he wanted to help his potential, Mark knew he had to act fast. He turned the corner nearly the same time and leapt for the man’s throat.

The mystery man was also dressed in black, with a similar crossbow in hand. It was a lucky mistake for Mark that the man either did not have a gun or chose not to draw it, for he didn’t have time to get a good shot on the target.

Jaws clamped on the man’s sweaty neck and slammed shut, knocking him down as Mark shook his head to literally rip the intruder’s throat out. Blood and viscera went everywhere; the wolf flinched at the warm spray but continued the attack. He didn’t notice anyone else as he looked around afterwards, feeling the stranger’s life drain out as he gurgled, then fell silent. It was done.

Mark turned and saw Jack climb off the dead woman. His bore a long scratch on his muzzle and limped, his left foreleg held close to his chest. The wrist was twisted in a stomach-churning way, clearly broken. Mark whined lowly, licking the smaller wolf’s face. He pressed his side to his partner’s to support him as they shifted back.

As the two had not performed the ritual needed on their pajama’s to keep them after shifting, they were naked. It was ignored in favor of tending to Jack’s injuries. “Shit, I’m so sorry,” Mark said. _I’m always apologizing to him. I wish I didn’t have to; I wish there was nothing to apologize for._

“It’ll be fine, Mark. It’s not your fault. She was…” Jack frowned. “She was ready. She knew what to do.” He bit his lip. “Let’s just get out of here, yeah?”

Mark nodded his assent. “Yeah. Let’s get dressed and leave. I think there is a fire nearby anyway.”

So the two dressed (Mark helping Jack with his shirt) and packed their bags back up. The Irishman protested at the older man’s persistent nagging to let him carry both bags, but he pointed out that Mark needed at least one hand free in case they met anyone else. Mark reluctantly agreed. “But we need to set your arm so it heals. It’ll hurt, so you should bite into a pillow or something.”

After popping the bones back into place (he had had some paramedic training when he was younger, at the insistence of his mother. Most shifters did have some medical training anyway, in case they were ever injured and there weren’t any supernatural doctors nearby), Mark wrapped it up in some torn sheets to keep it there.

He stepped over the woman’s body and picked up her gun, checking to see if it was loaded and if there was any extra ammo. It was a simple .45, though Mark wasn’t terribly familiar with the particular brand. He kept the safety on for now; he would take it off when they left the room. Mark looked over at Jack, taking in his appearance. They didn’t have the luxury of time to take a shower or brush their teeth, so blood still lined the Irishman’s face and neck, dried by now. He’d bet that his mouth had just as much of a metallic aftertaste, too. It wasn’t pleasant but they couldn’t afford to think about it overmuch.

Mark asked if Jack was ready. At his potential’s nod he grimaced. “I don’t know what we’re going to find out there, but keep close to me. W-we might not be able to help,” he said softly.

Jack put his hand on the older man’s arm. “I know,” he whispered. “We need to do what we can, but we also need to stay alive. I can’t…” he trailed off. “I can’t lose you, so be careful, too. I can still help if it comes to it.”

A true smile came to Mark’s face then. “Then I guess we’ll just have to do our best. And I want to tell you—well, remind you—that I love you. We can do this,” he said.

A few tears came to Jack’s eyes but were blinked away. “I love ya too, Mark.”

Mark took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “Let’s go.”

The older man peeked into the hallway. It seemed that no one was there, but those two Hunters couldn’t have been the only ones. They could still hear faint yelling, and there were visible wisps of smoke curling in the air. He didn’t know _how_ the smoke alarms hadn’t gone off, or even if the sprinklers were working. But he narrowed his eyes and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind for now.

The two men slinked into the hallway and kept to the walls. Mark figured the stairs may be blocked, either by Hunters or fire, but decided to try to risk it anyway. There weren’t any fire escapes, except for the windows, but didn’t want to risk having a broken leg as well, because it would certainly cost them precious minutes they didn’t really have. At least now he had a gun and extra ammunition.

Mark put his hand on the door to the stairwell first, checking for heat. It didn’t feel too warm so he put his ear to it as well. There were echoes of footsteps but he couldn’t tell where exactly they were coming from, so he decided to lean against the wall to the side and wait, leveling the gun and clicking the safety off.

The door burst open, startling him, but he kept a steady hand. A man poked his head out, checking each direction and spotting the two shifters. The man couldn’t have been much older than twenty, though, and Mark wasn’t sure if he was friend or foe. Before he could ask, the stranger whipped out a weapon—a similar gun—and shouted: “Found some!”

The brown-haired youth walked out, his gun never leaving his target. “So what are you, then? Blood-suckers? Beasts?” Another man walked out of the doorway, chiding his colleague. “You know we don’t interrogate. It’s a waste of breath, talking to these… creatures,” he sneered.

When the first man shifted his grip on the gun Mark shot him in the head, instantly killing him. He felt Jack twitch behind him, watching the way the skull had exploded and splattering the walls and carpet with blood and brain matter. He wished his potential didn’t have to see this, but it was the situation they found themselves in. Once they got away, they could get help and heal. But for now, well, Mark only widened his stance in front of Jack and shot the remaining Hunter.

Mark’s breathing picked up. He felt nauseous and scared absolutely shitless, but Jack gently grabbed his arm. Shaking his head, Mark swallowed back his feelings for now and turned to his partner. _He looks terrified, but determined somehow,_ thought the older man.

“You okay?” Jack whispered.

“I will be,” said Mark. “But I didn’t think people actually started monologuing or whatever.” He smiled a little, knowing just as Jack did that it was absolutely fucking lucky of them to have gotten this far by now. Regardless, the Irishman returned the smile shakily and huffed out a laugh.

“Alright, let’s head downstairs. I wish our odds were better, but…” Mark trailed off.

“Is it really better than just jumping out the window? We could probably make it,” Jack picked up.

Mark shook his head. “Not with your arm like that; we have a faster healing rate, yeah, but not that fast—and we’re not invulnerable to gravity or its effects. Let’s call it plan B, okay?”

“Alright. I trust you, Mark.”

The older man turned around and inched towards the stairs, Jack following. He didn’t hear anything else, but the smell of smoke was getting stronger. “Hold on to my shirt, okay?” _Just in case,_ Mark thought. Once he felt the slight tug, he entered through the door.

He looked up at the staircase leading to the roof but it was empty, and from what he could see through the metal gating, there wasn’t anyone below. “We’ll go fast, to the first floor,” Mark whispered.

Once at the final door, Mark again felt for heat and listened. The screams were closer, and he felt some heat through the heavy door. “It’s going to be rough, Jack. We’ll need to run as soon as the door opens and duck, okay? It feels like there is a fire nearby as well. Are you ready?”

Mark met his potential mate’s eyes. Still scared but not willing to back down, even with a broken bone. He took strength from that, and felt even more hopeful at Jack’s readiness. Mark took a deep breath and slammed open the door, the two shifters hunching down and ducking around the lobby.

It was in absolute shambles; pillars were cracked, plants smashed, paintings torn, fire at the receptionist’s desk and flames licking greedily at the walls. The smoke was thick and they two brought their shirts over their noses and scrunched their eyes to try to protect themselves. Bullets were raining down around them and ricocheted, slicing the two up with Mark getting the brunt of the hits.

Shouts were more easily deciphered now—slurs against the supernaturals, people calling for loved ones, shouting orders; it was a mess. A stray bullet carved a sliver in Mark’s side, almost cutting deeper and hitting an organ. Luckily it only grazed him, even though a chunk of flesh was missing now.

The YouTubers spotted the vampire receptionist, guiding people through the maze of destruction. She gestured to them and they ran over to her.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. Funny, Mark was so focused on staying alive he barely noticed it. “There’s a secret exit just over there, but we’re waiting for Mr. Squire to—” she stopped, an small explosion rocking the room. “Go!” She urged, quickly pressing the code into a nearby wall. It slid open and the people filed in, while the vampire closed it behind her.

“Wait! What about all those other people?” Jack asked.

The green-eyed woman looked sad for a moment. “Most of them are dead now, but there are others looking for survivors. They know what to do. I wish I could save everyone, but I can’t.”

Mark saw Jack bite his lip and clench his fist. He knew what he was feeling: helplessness, guilt, sadness and frustration. He wanted to help as many people as he could, but he can’t. “We need to keep moving, Jack,” Mark said, not unkindly.

The younger man reluctantly nodded and trudged forward, the now former employee making her way to the front of the group to lead them out. There were about a half-dozen other people: a family of three, with a whimpering child; a couple, clinging tightly to each other’s hands; and a lone woman, tear tracks cleaning the soot from her face.

The hallway turned into a tunnel a few sets of stairs down, and the group kept moving on in near silence. After about ten minutes, the vampire stiffened and stopped. She cocked her head and muttered a curse. “We’re being followed, and it’s not by friendlies.”

“How do you know?” The woman that had been crying silently asked. Her voice was cracked but audible.

The receptionist flashed a quick smile, showing off her fangs. “I can hear them clearly, and they aren’t being quiet about it, either. We need to move, _now_. I’ll bring up the rear—everyone else, just keep going forward. The way should be smooth enough and the password for the door is 405004. Got it?”

Everyone nodded. “Good. Anyone have any weapons?” Mark raised his hand, and so did the woman that spoke up. “Keep each other safe. I’ll do my best to hold them back, but be careful when you get out; this tunnel leads to the edge of the forest on the other side, and it’ll take maybe five minutes to get there if you run. If you keep running straight once you’re outside, you’ll reach a 24-hour gas station. Tell them you’re getting out of the rain, and they’ll know what it means. Tell them Jemma sent you, if I don’t meet up with you later. _Go_ ,” she urged. The vampire—Jemma—turned and walked briskly away.

“I know where she’s talking about, so I’ll lead the way.” Mark looked at the man who had spoken up. It was from the trio family. “I’m Ethan.” His partner, a woman, glanced at him fearfully, but he quietly reassured her.

“I’ll help protect the front, then,” said the armed woman. “Those bastards won’t get away with this. I’m Maria.”

The two people went to the front, leading the group at a heavy jog. Luckily no one seemed too physically in their group, but Mark had to make sure Jack’s arm was still okay. “How’s your arm feeling?” Mark huffed out.

“It’ll be fine,” Jack said. The half-Korean could see he was gritting his teeth. Probably not a good idea to talk, then, but he told Jack he would carry him if need be. Jack’s face, already flushed, burned a brighter red, but he stayed quiet.

Finally reaching the door, the group stopped to catch their breath briefly as the now-determined woman, Maria, punched in the code, muttering it silently. It slid open smoothly, and they could make out trees surrounding them, though it was greatly thinned out.

A bow _twanged_ in the air, the arrow whistling to land at their feet. The group stepped back, huddled together. The child, a little girl, whimpered.

“Step outside and drop any weapons,” a male’s voice commanded.

Mark heard Maria grunt. “Hell no,” she whispered. “They’re hiding behind trees. You had a gun as well, right?” she turned to ask. At his nod, she continued. “I don’t know how much longer this place is safe for. We need to clear this place out, now.”

“I can help, but you need to trust me, okay?” Ethan’s partner, and auburn-haired woman, said. “I’m a witch and my element is fire. I-I usually carry a lighter with me just in case, so…” she fumbled in her pocket, setting her little girl, around 6 years old, down. “Just… look after my daughter? I know Ethan knows where we need to go, and Maria and, uh, you—”

“Mark,” the YouTuber supplied.

“Mark, you have guns just in case. So, please,” she looked at the couple, probably in their 30’s, and at Jack. “Please look after Jessamine for me.” Jack, the woman and the other man all agreed. Quickly, the woman bent down to her daughter. “Jess, no matter what happens, I love you, and so does your daddy. But you need to be absolutely quiet, no matter what you see or hear or feel, alright? Please, be a good girl for me,” she said, smoothing her daughter’s hair down. The little girl nodded and received a brief but heartfelt hug and kiss from both parents. “Alright. I’ll start a fire in the trees and I know the forest won’t go unscathed, but I can do my best to clear a path for us in the meantime. It’ll go quickly.”

Without further ado, the woman flicked her lighter open and closed her eyes. She hummed a tune, and the fire arced to the tops of the trees and rained down to the dry bed of pine needles below. It swept up in a frenzy, carrying the screams of the Hunters unlucky enough to be caught in its grip. The fire grew quickly hot and thick, burning smoke set in. The auburn-haired woman walked into the flames which parted for her. It covered them well and burned brightly enough to shield them. The rest of the group, with Mark, Ethan, and Maria in front, and the others in the back, quickly ran through the path set for them. Ethan leaned close to his partner and whispered in her ear and she changed direction here or there at his direction. The woman kept it up until they left the forest, and closed the ring of fire tighter around them.

 _It’s like being inside a fire tornado,_ Mark marveled. _It’s really amazing._ He didn’t have much time to keep his wonder as more bullets whizzed through the air. The team ran faster, not looking behind. The woman’s tune shifted into a deeper tone, pacing up and down, and more screams were heard, some close by. After a few moments they stopped, and the fire died down.

The woman was out of breath. “They’re all dead,” she said. “The fire has taken them all. I have sensed no more nearby. We should be safe.” Mark was impressed; he had heard that witches had elements and were very in tune, but he never could have guessed _this._

Ethan lead the small band to the gas station, where they met an elderly man with a nametag that said _Paul_. “We’re here to get out of the rain,” he said. The white-haired man raised an eyebrow, so Ethan told him Jemma sent them.

“Shit,” Paul hissed out. “Alright, you folks sit tight. I need to take care of things. Here, come around back.” He led them to a back room, an office, where he punched in a code next to a safe. Easy as that, another hidden door made itself known. “This is a panic room,” Paul explained. “You’ll be safe here for a while. It’s got a bathroom and extra clothes and food, cots, blankets, pillows, etc. Just head down the stairs. If you need to get out but I’m not here, the code is 67893.”

The members did as they were told and the room shut behind them, leaving the fluorescent lights to guide them further. The room itself was huge, easily fitting two dozen people comfortably. They grabbed cots to themselves, blankets and pillows already on them. Ethan checked out the bathroom; there were two sides, a male and female side, with stalls for showers and toilets. “It’s like the underground railroad,” he said.

After they all washed up and did their business, they took care of their wounds, talking quietly.

“Is your wrist doing any better?” Mark asked as he led his potential mate to their cots.

“Eh,” Jack said. His voice, along with everyone else’s, were raspy from the smoke. “It hurts like fuck.” He was quiet, though, glancing at the little girl who had fallen asleep.

Mark winced. “I bet all that running didn’t help, with it bouncing around and the tension. Let me check,” he said. He felt around the broken wrist but it was still thankfully set in place. “It looks like it just needs to heal more. It might be a month until it feels back to normal, though. You’ve been through a lot of trauma, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it took that long.”

“That long, huh?” Jack mirrored softly. “That’s still amazing.”

“You’re amazing, Jack,” Mark retorted. And he meant it, too.

The Irishman rolled his eyes. “You can be so cheesy.”

“No, seriously, you’re amazing.” The older man grabbed his partner’s good hand. “You’re strong but feel empathy even for those who hurt us, and I love that about you. You give me strength and courage when I wouldn’t have had them otherwise. Your brightness shines through no matter what. You’re also beyond beautiful, or handsome, whatever you want to call it. I don’t just mean sexy, although you’re definitely that—you are a beautiful person, inside and out. Thank you, so much,” Mark whispered, tears stinging his eyes. He was incredibly thankful that they had made it out okay, even though he had a feeling things were just getting started. But they were here and now, together, Jack blushing and tearful, gripping his hand tightly.

* * *

Upon waking up in the morning (everyone had been too exhausted last night to talk), the room was filled with a nervous energy. The small family of three talked about going to a their own safe house, somewhere far away. The middle-aged couple talked about meeting up with some friends and going underground. Maria was quiet, shrugging at their inquiries.

“You can always come with us,” Ethan suggested. “We have enough room. We don’t even know when we’ll go, but we will give you time to think.” Maria gulped back her tears and thanked them.  
In the meantime, Mark and Jack were talking to Paul. “We need to leave as soon as possible. Today, even.”

Paul whistled. “Things are tricky right now, but I can hook you up with a loaner car here. It’s kitted for a week’s travel, and if you need money, there’s plenty of that. We’ve always been prepared, even though a lot of folks were skeptical and called us worrywarts. I don’t need to know where you’re going, but if you need more help, you call me at this number, okay? Memorize it and destroy it. We can’t be too careful nowadays.”   
The YouTubers thanked the man profusely. “We can’t tell you how grateful we are, but are you sure you can loan us a car…?” asked Jack.

The man waved away their concerns. “Course I’m sure. There’s more than just here besides. Just don’t go speeding and getting caught; I’ll sign the car over in your name anyways, or my friend will.”

“How does that work?” Jack said.

“It’s a whole organization, son,” Paul smiled. “Like the Peace Corps or something. We try to make it as untraceable as possible, though, so it might take a while for Hunters to find you, even if they know your name. We got a lot of connections.”

“Wow,” the duo said. Mark frowned. “I don’t have much cash on me, though, and we don’t think using a bank right now would be a good bet.”

“It’s fine, really. Things won’t look bad or suspicious on paper. And you can keep the car for as long as you need it,” Paul replied.

Mark bit his lip. “Yeah, it might be a while. I think my car got destroyed in the fire anyway.” He turned to Jack. “You up for a slightly different road trip, then?”

The younger shifter chuckled. “You bet.”

An hour later, the two were ready to head out. They traded the gun for a different one (“Like I said, boys, we can make anything happen. It’s legally yours, now,” Paul assured them), had a few maps to head to Mississippi, water and other drinks, food, money, and a new (really, it was only three years old) car. All Mark had to do was sign a few papers, and they were off.

The group that had survived with them wished them well. “Thank you, and take care,” Maria said. Jessamine gave Jack a big hug and a kiss on the cheek (which Mark not-so-secretly adored) and were given a luck charm through a spell by Ethan and his wife, Cassia. She also helped them with the ritual for their clothes, so they didn’t have to worry about running anymore apparel. It was easier when a witch helped anyway, and lasted longer, too.

The middle aged couple, who were fae, also gave them a good luck charm. All in all, they were feeling rather blessed. “Don’t rely too much on luck, though,” they warned. “It will only go so far, and it will only last a few days. No good luck spell can last for long.” Cassia had said as much to them as well.

When Jack and Mark finally left, it was closer to noon than they’d like, but they would call Ken on the way. Things were getting worse, though the new couple hoped their luck would hold out until they reached their destination.

Unfortunately, Jemma had not returned, and the group (and Paul) didn't hold out much hope. "We might get some stragglers, but at this point..." he trailed off. "Besides, some might have gone to hiding on their own."

Only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this is late. Well, later than I would have liked. It's my longest chapter yet at 25 pages and over 7k words. That's about an average term paper though, so I'm actually quite used to it, even though I'm not in school anymore.
> 
> This is late for a few reasons:  
> 1.) I had a few really depressing days where I pretty much just cried and slept  
> 2.) I had a LOT of anxious days where I could barely leave my room  
> 3.) I also regularly experience migraines and nerve pain, and I also have a lessening of cushioning in one of my neck vertebrae so that hurts, too.
> 
> I have panic disorder with agoraphobia. I hate leaving my room, let alone my house. I pretty much spend 22 hours a day in my room. I still live with my parents and I have to apply for disability because I'm so afraid all the damn time even thinking about looking online for jobs gives me panic attacks. And starting this coming Thursday, I'm undergoing EMDR, which is basically reprogramming therapy for trauma.
> 
> I thank everyone for being patient and sticking with me through this. It means more than you'll ever know; I only have one real-life friend, so my social life is very limited. And remember, 25 pages is a lot to type up, so it might take a bit for chapters to come out (even though I'm ashamed this took nearly two freaking months).
> 
> So, thank you all again, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)
> 
> OH! Also, please tell me if there are any typos. And if the action-ish scenes suck, because I'm never really certain about them.
> 
> Finally, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Roosterbytes and salem_the_sail_boat. You guys, as well as everyone else, deserve happiness, and I hope you guys like this.


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